


Now I lay me down to sleep

by CalaveraCeleste



Category: Outlast (Video Games)
Genre: Gore, Horror, Implied Child Abuse, Mother hen Val, Other, Outlast 2, Pre-outlast 2 times, Val - Freeform, Val's children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 13:42:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14955734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalaveraCeleste/pseuds/CalaveraCeleste
Summary: Power outages are a frequent happening in Temple Gate. It’s up to Helen, Val’s oldest child and right hand, to make sure all the other children are in the house before it gets dark





	Now I lay me down to sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Val´s children: http://amergo.tumblr.com/post/164858853988/just-harmonica-its-very-hard-to-create-40-kids  
> These wonderful OCs belong to: http://amergo.tumblr.com/

It was inevitable by now that Temple Gate’s inhabitants would have to spend the night without energy again; all remaining sunlight was a faint purple stripe in the horizon. Some people from the village had struggled all evening to try and repair the generator, but new pieces would be necessary to get it working again.

Since Val hadn´t returned to the house yet, Helen knew it was her responsibility to make sure all the children were in their rooms preparing to sleep, and it usually was a hell of a job. Fortunately, she had Tiffany and Agnes to help her this time.

While Agnes tended to show an irksome and vain attitude, she never left a task undone. Tiffany, on the other hand, was kind of air-headed, but always kept her good humor even in the worst situations. Besides, she had the most effective method to soothe children: singing them nursery rhymes with her beautiful voice. Right now, as she was putting Stefani to bed, Helen could hear her singing one of the last verses of “Now I lay me down to sleep” in one of the adjacent rooms.

Helen had just closed the door to Stefani´s room when she was assaulted by a bad feeling: everything was too quiet.

Almost every time a child went missing from the house, it was one of the little ones; being as restless as they were, and being able to roam Temple Gate with more freedom that everyone since Val was reluctant to let the older girls go out much, the night frequently caught them playing in other houses or in some field around the settlement. This time, anyhow, all the younger kids were peacefully in their beds. Even Nicolas and Robert were in their room, too, and Helen knew the twins were smart enough to not going out just before it got completely dark.

What occupied her mind was something entirely different: Helen wasn´t sure she saw Maria in all day.

The girl wasn´t in the room she shared with Tiffany, but that wasn´t strange of her. Maria frequently suffered from insomnia and night terrors, which forced her to look for shelter in Val´s bed. Since he wasn´t at home this time, she was likely in some isolated corner of the house, snatching up in her coloring books to the light of a candle until she got sleepy enough to go to bed.

In spite of everything, that grim consciousness, like a feeling that she was overseeing something important, didn´t go away. Helen couldn’t even recall the last time she saw or interacted with Maria: the younger girl was just an ethereal, permanent presence in the house which everybody took for granted. Maybe it would be better to ask some of the older children about her. The first one that came to her mind was Harry: the boy was always first in line to help her out with anything.

Harry was sitting on the porch, looking distractedly at the dying light between the corn plants. The younger boy almost flinched when he heard the front door open suddenly, only to realize it was his _darling._

\- Hi Harry! –Saluted Helen, sitting down next to him.

\- Hi, Helen! How is everybody back there? –He asked, pointing his chin at the second floor of the large house.

\- All the little ones are asleep- She answered calmly, trying to not make the following question sound like a big deal- By the way, have you seen Maria today? 

\- Mmm, I don´t know. Isn´t she hiding from the twins in some cupboard? - He didn´t took her question seriously, still looking distractedly at the horizon.

\- Harry! I’m serious- Helen snapped. Harry flinched at her tone.

\- I’m sorry- He answered, rubbing the back of his head- Is she missing?

\- No…, I don´t think so, I may be just imagining things, but… I think I haven´t seen her today- Helen looked away, slightly embarrassed at her lack of awareness.

\- Are you sure? - Harry was starting to get worried. Helen was like their mother: If she didn´t know the whereabouts of any of the kids, nobody else could.

\- Have you seen her?

\- Honestly, I can´t tell, either- He answered, confused- It isn’t like she makes a lot of noise anyways.

\- I’m worried about her. What if she isn´t in there? - Helen was sulking. Harry just wanted to see her get back to her calm and confident attitude.

\- I guess it is possible…but Maria never leaves the house, does she?

\- I’ll look for her. I have to make sure she is here.

\- I’ll help you out- Harry smiled sweetly at her- Don´t worry. I’m sure she must be hiding somewhere.

\- I´ll go get Tiffany and Agnes and we´ll look for her together- They stood up and made their way towards the house.

A few minutes later, the four children gathered at the kitchen, looking uncomfortably at the faint daylight which still came through the kitchen windows.

\- What happened, sister? - Agnes looked extremely puzzled.

\- Are any of the little ones missing? – Tiffany looked worried, too. Helen usually kept control of everything by herself. Being asked for help by her was at least alarming.

\- I need to know if any of you saw Maria today- Helen spoke sternly, taking a long look around the room.

The other three kids only looked at each other, knowing perfectly what to say, but afraid of doing so.

\- I don´t remember seeing her lately, sister. In a couple days, I think- Agnes looked directly into Helen’s eyes.

\- Me neither- Harry remembered- I couldn´t tell since when.

\- I can’t say anything either- Tiffany looked away, which was rare of her. Helen could tell she was keeping something to herself.

\- I need you to help me look for her. We can´t go to sleep if we don´t know where she is- Helen stated calmly, hoping it was all just some kind of bad dream, and that it would all be over soon.

\- I’ll, sis- Agnes answered, with Tiffany nodding to her words.

\- I’ll do what you tell me, Ma’am- Harry said, trying to sound as firm as he could.

\- Let´s go, then- Helen said to her younger siblings in her usual motherly tone- Wait a minute- The younger teenagers watched her disappear through a dark and narrow hallway, which was permitted to only some of the older children, including Harry and Tiffany.

Helen went inside one of the storage rooms and lifted up certain bag of flour. There it was: the lantern she was hiding in case of an emergency. She was lucky Nicolas and Robert hadn´t found it yet. She soon returned to the kitchen where her siblings were waiting for her. None of them looked like they had moved a muscle.

\- Ok, now- She said to the three younger children- I’ll look for her in the garden and the corn field. Tiffany- she looked at the younger girl, who, for some strange reason, still kept her gaze way too far away- you will search the bedrooms. Check all the cupboards and under the beds, too- Tiffany nodded- and also papa Val´s room. Pay special attention to that one.

\- I´m going now- Tiffany swiftly made her way upstairs,

\- Harry, you’ll look for her here in the first floor- Harry nodded- and you, Agnes, search for her in the barn.

The three children roamed the house and its surroundings like never before, making sure to look behind every corner. After they were finished with inspecting their respective areas of the house, they gathered again in the kitchen.

\- And? Anything? - The stress was showing in Helen’s voice.

\- She is not in any of our rooms. Neither in papa Val´s- Answered Tiffany anxiously.

\- She is not in the garden, either – Said Helen- Any of you found something? - She turned to Harry and Agnes.

\- I found this- Said Harry, showing her a couple of dime-a-dozen coloring books, which Maria was always seen busy with- They were in that closet near the kitchen, but no trace of her.

\- Helen, I didn´t want to say it but…

\- What, Tiffany? - Helen unconsciously raised her voice, making Tiffany shudder.

\- But…

\- C’mon, speak up! - Harry hurried her. Agnes and Helen looked extremely troubled.

\- She might be in the mountain- Tiffany finally finished her phrase.

\- In the mountain?!- The three other kids yelled.

\- Yes…- Tiffany looked down- She has been going there these last days. But she always comes back soon, like a couple hours later.

\- Tiffany! You should have told me as soon as you saw it! - Helen almost yelled at her, making her feel even more miserable.

\- I´m sorry, Helen- The younger girl looked sad and guilty-She made me promise not to tell anyone. I just thought maybe she needed some fresh air. I didn´t think she would be outside very long.

\- This can´t be happening- Helen held her head in her hands.

\- I think we should all wait here until papa Val arrives. He´ll know what to do- said Harry. Tiffany and Agnes nodded in agreement.

Helen wasn´t convinced at all; Val didn´t tell them what exactly he was doing out there. What if it was going to take him many more hours? If Maria was really in the mountain, time was precious: she could be in huge danger, especially if darkness caught her far away from the village.

Setting her mind up was really difficult: her parental sense (Acquired from papa Val in some way) told her something wasn´t right: it was dangerous to go outside for everyone, especially young girls like Maria. But she couldn’t help but to feel this whole situation was somehow her own fault; if she really was out there by herself, Helen _needed_ to get her back.

Tiffany, Agnes and Harry stayed perfectly still, looking at Helen for a good five minutes. They knew Helen was just thinking about the best solution for the problem, as she always did.

When Harry noticed the sudden change in Helen’s expression, he could tell the older girl had just made a though decision.

\- I will go up the mountain to look for her- She said in a firm tone, earning an alarmed look from the other three kids- I need all of you to stay here until I come back.

\- You can´t go to the mountain! - Exclaimed Tiffany, taken aback- It´s too dangerous up there!

\- And you can´t look for her alone. The mountain is huge! - barked Agnes.

\- We should all go together. Better chances to find her, right? - Said Harry, trying to soothe the two younger girls. Helen gave him a frustrated look.

\- Or we could all get lost in the mountain and never return. That would be far worse- She sighed hopelessly – Besides, somebody has to stay here to take care of the little ones. Have you thought about that?

Harry became silent. Tiffany and Agnes didn´t know what to say either.

\- It’s settled, then- Helen stated- I’ll go and you’ll stay here.

Helen went upstairs, grabbed her old satchel and made her way across the house carrying some batteries, bandages and rope. When she arrived to the porch, the three other kids were already waiting for her. Harry and Agnes looked extremely tense, and Tiffany was on the verge of tears.

\- Now- She said, giving Harry a serious look- I’m going out for a short time. If papa Val comes back while I´m not here, I want you to tell him exactly what happened. Understood?

The three children nodded quietly. The only one looking directly at Helen was Harry.

\- Tiffany…-She began.

\- I’m sorry Helen- The younger girl looked down, trying her hardest not to cry.

\- If something happens to us and papa Val becomes sad, I want you to sing him “Like a Prayer” until he feels better- The children knew how much he loved that song, singing it to himself all the time and sometimes even adding it to the song list in music class.

\- Yes, ma’am- Tiffany answered in a weak voice.

\- Agnes, I want you to take care of everyone while I am not here.

\- I will, sis- Her sister answered firmly.

\- And if he can´t find us at all…- Agnes looked away, knowing what was going next.

\- Just say it, sis.

\- Please, do everything I do right now in the house- Helen said with resolve. Agnes took a while to finally muster up the courage to answer.

\- Yes, sis. I’ll do my best.

\- I better get going now- Helen sighed- Keep watching the little ones- The younger children just nodded in silence as the older girl turned around and began her walk towards the darkness.

As she was getting lost between the corn plants, she tried to hold onto what Val said to her that one time: “Don’t lose your cool. All your little brothers and sisters depend on you. You have to keep calm for them”.

Helen soon arrived at the wire fence which blocked the way into the mountain. She didn’t ‘have to search for a long time to see it: a huge orifice in the fence, wide enough to let a full-grown adult pass through.

“We’ll have to see the way to fix it tomorrow” It was nice to think it could actually be a tomorrow.

It was almost completely dark already.  She made her way through the orifice and headed towards the upper side of the mountain.

After a while, anxiety started to take over Helen’s mind: she had been walking for at least half an hour, and had not seen any trace of Maria. What worried her now was not only finding the younger girl, but also being able to find the way back. She did her best in trying to remember every twist and turn she took, but it would be arduous to find the way back to the village without lights.

Maria.

She was so sad and quiet. She had a difficult past, like almost every one of the children in Temple Gate, but something about her upbringing seemed to make her especially unwell. She _had_ to find her.

_What for? She must be dead already._

Maria was just one of many Val’s disgraced children, dependent of him for everything. Everybody could feel she was somehow special, though. She was the closest to Val, but in a different way than Helen and all the other children.

She never hesitated to ask for help or comfort. She never hesitated in asking him for his time, even if it seemed so precious. But her special status didn´t seem to be only limited to her extreme dependence on Val: Maria seemed to understand him better than anyone. Her presence never failed to soothe him up, no matter how mad he was, and she even seemed to know exactly what was in Val’s mind at certain moments. But that might be only in Helen’s thoughts. Or everyone’s.

_Fell off a cliff and crushed her head, probably._

If she really went _that_ far, why did she do it? The adults were always telling their children how dangerous it was to get too deep into the wilderness, even during the day.

_Or was attacked by wild beasts. Don´t worry, there must still be at least half of her left._

She needed to run away from something? Or somebody? Or both?

_Or went too far away. You will go too far away after her, and they´ll never find any of you two._

She could barely stand it anymore. What if Maria wasn´t even there? What if she made the terrible mistake of believing in Martha’s fake sweetness and accompanying her to Knoth’s house? That would be soul-crushing. Not only for Val, but for Helen as well.

_You had one job, Helen. Val should kick you out and send you to Knoth’s._

Helen was always watching the smaller kids, and hardly ever paid any attention to Maria; the younger girl was always quiet, like a ghost, and apparently unable to cause any kind of trouble. But she had been acting strange lately.

She ate too little, even for a scrawny child like her, and seemed to get awfully frightened by having to be a long time with anybody other than Val.

What if she really needed help? What if she was thinking about running away? Or even worse, ending her own life?

_If you ever make it back alive, that is._

It was all her fault.

_This doesn´t remind you of something? What happened the last time you weren´t paying enough attention to the people around you?_

Suddenly, a flash of blinding light pierced through Helen’s eyes, forcing her to close her eyelids. At first, she thought she was falling unconscious due to desperation and fatigue.

When Helen opened her eyes again, she had to make sure it wasn´t all just a dream.

She wasn´t standing in the barren ground of the mountain anymore. All she could see in front of her was a dark, narrow hallway which immediately looked too familiar: it was her house, the one she lived in before being under Val’s care.

At the end of the hallway was a half-open door. The sense of attachment that held her to that place forced her to come forward and open it.

There it was: that poorly-lit bedroom, with an older woman lying on the bed: it was her mother, or at least she looked like her mother, because it _couldn´t_ be her.

She was extremely emaciated and worn out, so much that it seemed hard to believe she was lively enough to move. Her bones were sticking out, and almost every inch of her skin was covered in gangrenous-looking wounds. Helen felt a heavy and bitter smell which she couldn´t identify at first, but soon realized it was the smell of rotting flesh.

\- Helen…my child- the woman spoke weakly. Helen felt she could collapse here and now.

\- Mom…- Helen answered with a reedy voice.

\- You didn´t see it soon enough, Helen. I was falling sick. I was becoming weaker every day…- Her mother’s voice pierced trough her ears.

\- Mom, I´m so sorry- Helen lost her breath- I didn’t know…

Her mother started to shake and tremble violently. Before Helen could react, her flesh started to become liquid, dissolving into the bed.

\- No!! Mother, Please! - Helen held her hand desperately. In a second, it wasn´t here anymore, lost in a pool of putrefaction.

Helen fell into the ground, sobbing and shaking like a little child.

The putrefaction started to take over the room, consuming the bed at first, and then sucking at the walls and floor. Helen looked at it all, knowing she had to run away but unable to do so.

Finally, just as the darkness started to reach for the tip of her feet, she gathered enough strength to stand up and leave the room, using all of her force to run away as fast as she could in the opposite direction.

There was another door in the far-left end of the hallway. A weak light came from the edges of that closed door, making Helen hope it was some kind of exit.

She just entered the door, grabbing the handle tightly.

Helen couldn´t repress a breathless screech once she closed the door behind herself.

There, sitting in a chair, was Maria.

 And she looked like Maria, but it _couldn´t_ be her.

_Now, I lay me down to sleep._

Her face was the same: the big, sad, doe eyes, the perky nose and long blonde hair. But her body was the one from a half-eaten corpse.

_I pray the lord my soul to keep._

She was a bleeding, twitching, dissolving mess. Her ribs and spine were in plain sight. She had no organs.

_If I shall die before I wake._

What made it even more horrifying: she looked alive. She was alive, moving and staring at Helen with a sad and reproaching expression.

_I pray the Lord my soul to take._

\- Helen, sister…

Helen collapsed on the floor, whining uncontrollably.

\- You left me alone, sister. I was getting weaker every day- the girl sobbed, holding onto herself.

\- Maria…no, you´re not dead- Helen resisted to believe what she was seeing.

\- I'm doomed sister.…

\- I´m sorry…

\- Why, sister!- Maria screamed, her face covered in tears- Why did you leave me alone

\- Maria! I’m sorry- Helen was in the floor, covering her face.

\- Why, sister!

\- No, please! I´m so sorry Maria! I will nurse you back to health! You will be fine! I swear!

There was a sudden silence, interrupted only by Helen´s sobbing.

Maria stopped crying and watched her cautiously.

\- Sister…

Helen took a discrete look at her between her fingers. Her expression had changed, looking sinister and grim.

-It’s not enough- the younger girl muttered- I need something else.

\- Maria, what I can do? I want to help…please.

\- Come with me now. I need some company… down here- Her tone was grim and low, like it came directly from down her grave.

With horror, Helen raised her head to see the monstrosity crawling towards her. She didn´t understand the enormously uneasy feeling that invaded her when gazing it at first, but then understood in was all because of Maria’s movements: she was crawling through the floor using her ribs as limbs, like a huge and horrifying centipede.

\- Sister…no- Helen finally reacted, trying to back off. She could barely move her legs, wishing it all would be over at any time.

Maria reached her legs, clasping her bony hands around Helen’s ankles.

\- Come with me…

\- Sister, stop! Please, don´t…

\- Now….

Helen finally stood up, pushing back Maria violently. The thing let out a breathless screech, charging at her faster than before.

Helen knew she couldn´t escape. All she could do right now was to hold that thing upon her, hoping it would understand and not hurt her. She never held anyone with more strength.

\- Stop, please! It hurts- The thing screamed, sounding suddenly too human.

\- Stop now, Helen! - A familiar, firmer voice broke the atmosphere. It was Val´s voice.

The room vanished, replaced by the darkness of the night. When Helen came to her senses, she had her hands clasped to Maria´s shoulders, the latter trying desperately to release herself.

Helen took a look at the person she was holding: it was _her_ Maria again. Not the ghoulish apparition she though she just saw. Just a few meters away, they could see the swinging light of a lantern coming right at them.

\- Are you two Ok!? What happened here!? - Val held a portable lantern in his left hand and a machete in the right one.

\- Father, I…- Helen couldn’t keep talking, the phrase dying in her throat.

\- For God´s sake, do you have a clue how worried I was!? - Maria looked even more frightened, paralyzed by fear.

\- Papa Val…, I…, was looking for Maria- Helen could finally muster.

\- You did what you could, my child. I appreciate your bravery, but you are never doing this again. Next time you and your siblings will wait for me.

\- Mother… Am I in trouble? - Asked Maria. It was always kind of strange for everyone how naturally Maria called him like that, and Val just accepted it without a word. The girl sounded so miserable and frightened that Val couldn´t help but to soften his tune.

\- No, my child. Not this time- He sighed- But we´ll speak about this tomorrow. Whatever makes you run away to the mountain, we have to stop it.

Maria started sobbing, holding thigh onto Val´s waist. He shushed her softly as they walked towards the village.

\- Shh, calm down, my love, it´s Ok now.

After a while, he held her back while stroking her hair tenderly.

Val kept caressing Maria´s hair while holding Helen´s hand more firmly. They made the rest of the walk to Temple Gate in silence.

Nothing could describe Helen´s relief when she saw the contours of the fence which separated the way to the mountain from the village. Val helped both of them to get through the gate, taking special care in holding up the wires so they wouldn´t get hurt.

Tiffany, Harry and Agnes were waiting for them at the porch of Val’s house, sheltering candle lights in their hands. They almost jumped in joy when they noticed Val and the two girls emerging from the darkness.

\- Sis! Thank God you’re OK!!- Agnes almost tackled Helen down, holding onto her desperately.

\- Christ! You came back! I´m so happy! - Tiffany hugged Maria, since Helen was too busy trying not to get knocked out by Agnes’s embrace. They stayed like that for a while.

\- God! We were already expecting the worst- Yelled Harry, trying his best to hold the four girls at once.

Val granted his children a moment of emotionality, looking over them thoughtfully. After a while, he had to break the silence.

\- Come on, my loves, we have to get inside. This place without light is dangerous- He hurried them inside of the house, gazing into the darkness of the mountain.

Helen was so happy it couldn´t be described with words. She was glad to be back and well. They all went back inside the house, with the older girl closing the door carefully behind her. Val just looked at her and nodded, giving her an approval expression once she secured the door lock.

\- My, that was terrible. Never do that again, Sis…- Agnes was just recovering her breath, still holding to Helen’s waist.

\- Helen was very brave, Agnes- Val spoke, making her flinch and turn to him – She was willing to risk her life to bring Maria back. You should all look up to her.

\- Father Val- Harry spoke timidly. Val stared at the boy, making him look away- It’s true. She was very brave and kind. I wish…

\- You’ll became just like her in time- Val always knew what was going on his children minds- You’re a very brave boy, too, Harry.

\- Uh, thanks, papa Val- Harry looked away once again, embarrassed.

\- I’m dying- Tiffani said- I need to get some rest. Can I go to bed, papa Val?

\- Yes, my love- Val caressed her head- Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a though day.

\- Maria, are you coming? - She asked to the younger girl

\- Yes, big sis- Maria held Tiffany’s hand, joining her in her trip upstairs.

\- I’m going too- yawned Harry.

\- I’m pretty tired, too. Sis, are you coming?- Agnes asked Helen.

\- Mm, not yet. Go ahead without me, Agnes. I’ll stay with papa Val for a while.

\- Ok, Sis- The four children rushed upstairs.

Everything seemed solved now. All thanks to Val.

But there was something else: a disconcerting doubt had been nested in Helen´s mind since a while ago. How did Val manage to find them and head back to the house so quickly? Adults could walk freely into to the mountain, but nobody strayed too far from the village or spent a lot of time there. Val seemed to know the place a little too well.

Val and Helen were left in total silence, until the girl finally dared to break the ice.

\- Val, father…- She mustered.

Val turned to Helen, giving her a tired smile.

\- Yes, my love?-

\- I have a question for you.

Helen wasn´t ready to tell Val about everything she saw while looking for Maria, but she needed to know something.

\- Do you hear voices in your head sometimes? - Helen asked him.

\- We all hear the voice of god, my child- Val answered with reliance while checking out the front windows. His words didn´t satisfy Helen.

\- But I mean a different kind of voice, something that is…here, close to us.

Val became silent. A sudden fear crossed Helen´s mind: she though she saw Val’s expression get ghastly for a moment.

\- I haven´t experienced or heard such a thing, my dear- He finally answered in his usual, calm tone- Did it happen to you?

\- Yes…, when I was looking for Maria, I thought I heard someone… or something speaking to me, papa Val- Val gazed at her once again, turning away as soon as he processed her answer.

\- It must have been desperation, Helen. It happens to all of us when our burdens become too heavy- Val stroked her shoulder tenderly.

\- Yes… I think so- Helen looked away, wondering if was really wise to tell Val the truth.

Val held her chin, making her turn her head to look at him.

\- You better go to sleep my child- Val examined her weary expression- You need some rest.

\- I´m not sleepy, father. I don´t think I can sleep at all.

Val believed her, caressing her face softly. The young girl looked exhausted, her expression looking a bit too familiar now. Maybe because it was melancholically similar to what Val saw every morning in his bathroom mirror.

\- Then you can join me, my love. I have to keep watching all your brothers and sisters until dawn - He said in a tranquil tone, patting the girl’s shoulders.

\- Papa Val, if I could keep you company…

\- I know how we can pass the time- Val interrupted her- Wait a moment.

Val walked upstairs, to his room, and came back with a small black box in his hands. Helen looked at it with curiosity, and was about to ask him about it when he opened it up revealing a deck of cards.

\- We can play poker- Val said- I’ll teach you. You’ll get it very fast, given how smart you are- He smiled at Helen while caressing her back.

\- Mm, Ok, papa Val- answered Helen, feeling undeniably flattered at those last words.

Val spent a good twenty minutes explaining the rules of poker to Helen in great detail. The girl pretended to be paying attention, but her mind was wandering away, thinking about tonight’s events. She could feel it in every inch of herself: Temple Gate had, somehow, become an even less safe place for everyone, including Val. But how could she express it in a way that her now protector would understand?

\- Ok, you go first, my love- Val said with rested expression. Helen just nodded and began decking the cards.

Helen failed embarrassingly in the first few games, understandably enough, though, since not having been able to pay to attention to Val´s early instructions. The latter, however, had the patience to explain them to her all over again while they played.

Soon, the numbing fright wrapped around her heart wasn´t there anymore. Val was the closest thing to a parent she had right now, and he always did his best to take care of her, sometimes even better than her real parents. Not to mention how important he had become for the rest of the orphans: He was the world to Maria. He was the only one who the much-feared twins showed some respect for. He was always fighting tooth and claw to prevent Martha from taking any of the girls to Knoth.

Much to Helen’s exasperation, Val couldn´t get rid of that severe attitude of his, showing a catastrophic lack of tact and patience in most social situations. Nonetheless, the vicar always tried his best to be loving and warm to his children, calling them sweet names like “love” and “dear”.

\- Nice game, my love. You almost beat me this time. Another one? - Val looked at Helen with a warm expression in his icy eyes, smiling softly at her.

In the end, Helen decided to pay no mind to all those doubts and apprehensions about this eerie night. Val might be unsettling and obscure at times, but he had his own quandaries to deal with, which didn´t make him less of a liable and caring person. She could definitely love him as her parent.

And if she could, she should.

_Never leave us, please._


End file.
